This afternoon MPs are paying tribute to Sir David Amess, the long-serving parliamentarian who was murdered on Friday. It began with a minute’s silence, impeccably observed, in a chamber packed with members from across the House.
The Speaker of the Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, told MPs that he was ‘sorry the House is returning in such tragic circumstances’ and said ‘we have lost two outstanding friends and colleagues’ after Sir David and his colleague James Brokenshire both died last week.
He added that MPs ‘will share my deep sadness at their loss’ and will send their ‘heartfelt condolences’ to their families. The circumstances of Sir David’s death were despicable, he said, and continued that MPs will pay tribute for Brokenshire, who died of lung cancer at the age of 53, separately on Wednesday.
Subsequent tributes were paid by Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer.
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